Engineering Minds? Ethical Considerations on Biotechnological Approaches to Mental Health, Well-Being, and Human Flourishing

Federico Germani; Philipp Kellmeyer; Sebastian Wäscher; Nikola Biller-Andorno

doi:10.1016/j.tibtech.2021.04.007

Engineering Minds? Ethical Considerations on Biotechnological Approaches to Mental Health, Well-Being, and Human Flourishing

Trends Biotechnol. 2021 Nov;39(11):1111-1113. doi: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2021.04.007. Epub 2021 May 3.

Authors

Federico Germani¹, Philipp Kellmeyer², Sebastian Wäscher¹, Nikola Biller-Andorno³

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
² Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroethics and AI Ethics Lab, Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS), University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
³ Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 33958228
DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2021.04.007

Abstract

Our bodies can be designed and modified in accordance with our ideals of health and well-being. These increasingly targeted and personalized interventions will be more effective than current therapies. Here we review technologies to alter mood, and explore the ethics of bioengineering approaches to mental health.

Keywords: bioengineering; ethics; happiness; mental health; mood; neuromodulation.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Biotechnology*
Humans
Mental Health*